Vates Invest GmbH

What Vates Invest GmbH does

Vates Invest GmbH is an owner-managed German asset management boutique founded in 2011, headquartered in Obertshausen near Frankfurt am Main, that runs two distinct investment strategies through two Luxembourg/Liechtenstein-domiciled funds. The Vates Parade Fonds (launched 2014) is a flexible mixed fund (Mischfonds) that manages equity exposure on a daily basis using a proprietary macro model called the Vates Ampel, which analyzes monetary, economic and sentiment indicators to generate tactical asset allocation signals aimed at limiting drawdowns in equity bear markets. The Vates Aktien USA fund (launched October 2022) is a concentrated equity vehicle that systematically identifies top-performing US stock pickers (hedge funds, family offices) and filters their highest-conviction ideas into a ~60-stock portfolio with a stated goal of at least 3% p.a. alpha over a 5-year horizon.

Revenue is generated entirely through asset management fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management across the two funds. Distribution and client servicing are handled through BaFin-authorized tied agent FOCAM AG for investment advice and brokerage, with Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe serving as Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft (KVG) for the Parade Fonds and the Liechtenstein-based IFM for the Aktien USA fund. The company exclusively targets professional clients and institutional investors under §67 Abs. 2 WpHG and operates across Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with US persons explicitly excluded.

The firm has three Managing Partners (Benjamin Bente, Maik Komoss and Robert Steinke), each with 20+ years of active financial market experience, all of whom invest personal capital into both funds. Since May 2024, 50% of the company has been owned by LOYS AG, a strategic partnership that brought an expanded sales team and additional distribution infrastructure while Vates retained its independent brand and portfolio management responsibilities. The team size disclosed is 5 employees, and combined AUM approaches ~650M EUR across the two funds based on disclosed 2025-2026 milestones.

Name

Vates Invest GmbH

Legal name

Vates Invest GmbH

Website

https://vates-invest.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vates Invest GmbH is a German asset management boutique managing two distinct funds — the flexible mixed fund Vates Parade Fonds and the US equity fund Vates Aktien USA — for institutional and semi-institutional investors, using a proprietary macro model (Vates Ampel) and systematic US stock-picker analysis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (52591)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Asset Absolute Return & Diversified Macro Funds (FSAAAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Investments for Private Wealth (Hedge Funds, PE/VC Access, Private Credit) (FSAAABAI), Equity Mutual Funds (Active) (FSAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Asset management
• Mixed fund
• Equity fund
• Tactical asset allocation
• Macro investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Obertshausen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Revenue generated through asset management fees from managing the Vates Parade Fonds and Vates Aktien USA Fund. Fees are calculated as a percentage of assets under management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vates Invest GmbH is an owner-managed asset management boutique managing two distinct funds: the Vates Parade Fonds, a flexible mixed fund that uses a proprietary macro model (Vates Ampel) to adjust equity exposure daily for capital protection during bear markets, and the Vates Aktien USA, an equity fund that systematically identifies top US stock pickers (hedge funds, family offices) and invests in their highest-conviction stock ideas. The funds are distributed exclusively to professional clients and institutional investors under German securities law.

Product overview

Vates Invest GmbH is an owner-managed asset management boutique founded in 2011, specializing in two clearly defined investment strategies. The product portfolio consists of two distinct funds: the Vates Parade Fonds (a flexible mixed fund focused on capital protection during bear markets, launched in 2014) and the Vates Aktien USA (an equity fund providing access to top US stock pickers' ideas, launched in 2022). The two funds serve complementary roles - the Parade Fonds acts as a portfolio stabilizer while the Aktien USA serves as a return booster. The company is headquartered in Obertshausen near Frankfurt am Main and maintains a strategic partnership with LOYS AG (50% stake acquired in 2024).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vates Parade Fonds A flexible mixed fund (Mischfonds) that manages equity quota on a daily basis using the proprietary Vates Ampel macro model. The fund aims to generate long-term positive returns while protecting investors from significant losses during bear markets through macroeconomic and sentiment-based market analyses with stringent risk control. Targeted at institutional and semi-institutional professional clients.
• Vates Aktien USA An equity fund that provides access to the best US stock pickers' investment ideas. The fund systematically identifies top-performing US investors (hedge funds, family offices), filters their most compelling stock ideas, and combines them into a concentrated portfolio of approximately 60 stocks with the goal of achieving alpha of at least 3% p.a. over a 5-year period. Targeted at institutional and semi-institutional professional clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average drawdown of -6.7% vs -25% in S&P 500 during major bear markets
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LOYS AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2024LOYS AG acquired 50% stake in Vates Invest GmbH in May 2024. Strategic partnership to accelerate growth, combining complementary fund products. LOYS AG, based in Oldenburg, Frankfurt, Chicago and Switzerland, brings established structures and distribution capabilities. Vates enhances LOYS product palette with defensive macro strategy and offensive stockpicker fund.
• FOCAM AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFOCAM AG, Untermainkai 26, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, serves as tied agent per § 3 Abs. 2 WpIG for investment advice and brokerage. Holds BaFin authorization under § 15 i.V.m. § 86 Abs. 1 WpIG.
• Hauck Aufhäuser LampecoreOthersHauck Aufhäuser Lampe serves as the Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft (KVG/fund management company) for Vates Parade Fonds. Provides fund administration, regulatory compliance, and distribution infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DJE Kapital AG: German independent asset manager based in Pullach near Munich, offering mixed and equity funds including flagship multi-asset products. Comparable as a German-language boutique serving similar institutional and wealth management channels with active management strategies.
• ETHENEA Independent Investors S.A. Luxembourg/German independent asset manager running the Ethna-Aktive defensive mixed fund and equity strategies, with similar capital-preservation positioning and German institutional distribution. Closely comparable to Vates Parade Fonds on multi-asset defensive mandate and target audience.
• LOYS AG: Oldenburg-based German asset manager that acquired 50% of Vates in May 2024; operates comparable mixed and equity fund products (LOYS Global, LOYS Aktien Europa) with value-tilted strategies. Included as a peer because of overlapping product set, shared institutional distribution, and the parent-subsidiary business relationship.
• Acatis Investment GmbH: Frankfurt-based German value-oriented asset management boutique with mixed and equity funds targeted at German-speaking institutional and private wealth clients. Directly comparable in boutique size, German institutional focus, and active fund management approach.
• Flossbach von Storch AG: German owner-managed asset management boutique headquartered in Cologne, managing multiple mixed funds (Mischfonds) and equity strategies with comparable AUM scale. Directly comparable on boutique positioning, German institutional/semi-institutional target market, multi-asset flagship funds, and rule-based investment philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA: Frankfurt-based global asset manager (Deutsche Bank subsidiary) and Germany's largest asset manager, offering broad mixed and equity fund ranges including institutional products. Represents the incumbent competitor against which boutique strategies like Vates compete for German institutional mandates.
• BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG: German arm of the global asset manager, offering broad ETF, mixed, and equity fund ranges with significant institutional penetration. Represents the passive/low-cost competitive pressure increasingly shaping German institutional allocation decisions.
• Union Investment Privatfonds GmbH: Frankfurt-based German cooperative asset manager (DZ Bank Group) running large multi-asset mixed funds (UniRak, UniProfiErtrag) for institutional and retail wealth. Incumbent in the same German mixed-fund category where Vates Parade Fonds competes for institutional and semi-institutional allocations.
• Allianz Global Investors GmbH: Frankfurt-headquartered international asset manager with extensive multi-asset and equity fund offerings targeting German and European institutional clients. Broad incumbent competitor in the same institutional channel.

Regional players

• Carmignac Gestion S.A. Paris-based European independent asset manager with flagship multi-asset absolute return fund (Carmignac Patrimoine) and equity strategies. Comparable on boutique heritage, multi-asset defensive strategy, and European institutional/wholesale distribution, though operating from France rather than Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/vates-invest-gmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vates-invest

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vates Invest GmbH